365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Vine Fruit
Day 295: Fruits of the vine! I thought I'd lost all my kiwi berries to the varmints, but I discovered two which had escaped predatory notice. I am sure the only reason they remained on the vine is that I removed Doogie Squirrel from the equation and haven't seen any of his kin since I relocated him to Mineral. I'm not sure how to tell if they're ripe; currently, they're hard as little rocks. As for the grapes, I've given up trying to prune them according to the book. I just let them go last year, and this year, it looks like I may have a record harvest if I'll just get out there and put the net up. The Steller's Jays prefer grapes a bit on the tart side and invariably pick them a day or two before my human taste buds consider them ripe. Grapes, of course, are best after a light frost has set the sugar, but even a light freeze will cause the bunches to shatter at the slightest disturbance. These are Interlaken, a seedless variety which tastes very similar to Concords. I've never tried to make jelly with them because the vine has only produced one good crop in thirty years.
Labels:
gardening,
grapes,
kiwi berries
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